Eden

The Prison of Eden

By: Kara Maltby

When I entered the theater to see Eden, I was expecting the worst. By “the worst” I mean violent, gruesome, tear-jerking, and horrific. I was preparing myself to walk out of the theater at any moment for fear of not being able to handle what was on the screen. Human trafficking and sex slavery is such difficult subject matter to capture in all of its brutality without going too far. Because this film was based on a true story, I was expecting it to go too far and, in my opinion, a film such as this should make the viewer aware of the validity of its claims without subjecting them to completely obtrusive images.

Once the film began, however, I was completely enthralled and the thought of leaving didn’t enter my mind again. Megan Griffiths directed this film in such a way that it captured the essence of Chong Kim’s sad and terrifying story while keeping its focus on her bravery and strength in such circumstances. Chong Kim also came and watched the film with us, making it that much more real and emotional.

A young Korean-American girl (Jamie Chung) who is living in a seemingly strict household escapes to a bar with a friend. She meets Jesse (Scott Mechlowicz) who appears very interested in her and ends up leaving with him. What she thought was an escape from the confines of her home and parents turns into an imprisonment in a world of prostitution and domestic human trafficking.

At first, she is very resistant and tries everything to escape the grasps of her captors. Unsuccessful, she resorts to partnering with the terrible man who takes them to each job, Vaughan (Matt O’Leary). She becomes an expert at organizing this crime and is finally presented with an opportunity to help shut down the whole operation and shows true courage in doing so.

At the end of the film, I wanted to do two things: hug Chong Kim and join the cause to end sex trafficking. I think Megan Griffiths accomplished what she set out to do with this film and I commend her on a job well done. The film not only tugged at your heart and spoke volumes about Chong Kim’s story, but it was visually beautiful as well.

The bleak colors displayed the dismal setting that these abducted girls were forced into.  Many handheld shots made the film seem more real and jarring and kept the audience on the edge of their seat. The music also contributed to the film in a big way. It was often very fast-paced but what really stood out to me was how overbearing it was at times. Whenever Eden was becoming overwhelmed by her situation, the music would become very loud and daunting. This would normally bother me as it detracts from the characters and the dialogue. In this case, however, it was very representative of Eden’s mind becoming crowded and overwhelmed with thoughts as a result of everything that was happening to her. The violence was also shown in a very implied and Hitchcockian fashion, which I appreciated because not every moment of a true story such as this needs to be shown in great detail.

If the audio and visual aspects of the film don’t capture your attention, Jamie Chung’s performance will. She was remarkable and played a completely different character than she has in the past (Sorority Row, The Hangover II, Sucker Punch, etc.) and did it with ease. From her expressions to her body language, she truly embodied the fear, hope, and courage that Chong Kim had to have felt in her position. While some may view her willingness to throw others under the bus to ensure her own safety as a character flaw, I saw it as another honest representation of how Chong Kim must have felt.

The film was not perfect, however, as most aren’t. I  thought Beau Bridges was miscast. He overacted the part and took the criminal out of his character, a US Marshall involved in the sex trafficking ring in a big way. I also thought the film should have provided the audience with a follow-up about what happened to Chong Kim after she escapes rather than abruptly cutting when her mom answers her call.

Despite these few flaws, I thought the film was a great representation of a harsh reality that some viewers may not be aware of. Jamie Chung and Matt O’Leary show great performances and are very convincing in their roles while the music and aesthetic aspects add to the film’s overall success of giving some insight to a very real and very dark story of a young girl who is brave enough to stand up for herself in a life-or-death situation.

Written by Megan Griffiths, Chong Kim, and Richard B. Phillips; directed by Megan Griffiths; produced by Trent Boin, Mark Hoinacki, Mischa Jakupcak, Jacob Mosler, Colin Harper Plank.

Running Time: 1 hour 38 minutes

WITH: Jamie Chung (Eden), Scott Mechlowicz (Jesse), Beau Bridges (Bob Gault), Matt O’Leary (Vaughan)